Today, I ask that all pet owners give me a few minutes and an open mind to hear my plea to bring an end to the never-ending plight of homeless animals.

First, here are some facts from the Humane Society of the United States: Annually, 8 million to 10 million cats and dogs enter shelters across the United States. Of these, 4 million to 5 million are euthanized each year.

The bottom line remains that as a responsible society we must spay and neuter our pets at a young age before they reach sexual maturity.

Please grant me the patience to listen to the excuses I hear weekly from clients and the general public on why they have not spayed or neutered their pet. My all-time favorite is that Fluffy wasn’t spayed so that the children could witness firsthand the wonders of birth.

Other top excuses include owner’s worries about spaying and neutering affecting their pet’s ability to protect the home and family, or that it will change the pet’s personality. The fact is that a pet’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment rather than by sex hormones. Remember, pets don’t have any concept of sexual identity or ego and will absolutely not suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when spayed or neutered.

Limiting health risks

Let’s please put to rest the old wives’ tale that it is better to have a female spayed after experiencing one heat cycle or having one litter of puppies. The truth is that by spaying your dog before her first heat cycle you will virtually eliminate her chances of developing mammary tumors (breast cancer) later in life. This is a significant fact when you consider that mammary tumors are the most common tumors in older female dogs who are not spayed or were spayed later in life. With each subsequent heat cycle your dog experiences, the chance of mammary tumors increases.

Healthier life

Not only will you help your pet to live a longer healthier life by spaying her before her first heat cycle, but you will avoid the physical signs that occur with each heat. Of course, you will also eliminate the adventures of courtship attempts by every male dog within a three-mile radius of your home.

For male dogs, neutering eliminates testicular cancer and greatly decreases the incidence of prostate disease in older pets. Neutering cats makes them less likely to spray urine or mark their territory with their pungent odor. Neutered males, both dogs and cats, are much less likely to roam, run away or get into fights than their unaltered counterparts.

One last excuse I hear all too often is that owners don’t want to spay or neuter their pet simply because it is a purebred. Unless you are extremely knowledgeable about your breed’s standards and the expense that is involved with responsible breeding, you really have no reasonable basis to bring more unwanted pets into this already pet-overpopulated world.

In fact, I see many owners of purebred animals have difficulty giving away their “valuable” puppies and kittens because of the oversaturation of pets. Remember: At least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters across the country is a purebred.

Plenty of benefits

Besides the aforementioned, spaying and neutering your pet is beneficial to owners as well. Without a doubt, spayed and neutered pets make better and more affectionate companions. It is important to note that unsterilized animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than do those who have been sterilized.

In fact, many pets are brought to animal shelters because of behavior problems. Usually, behavior problems cannot simply be blamed on the pet. Most pet owners don’t do their homework thoroughly before bringing a new pet into their homes. They end up with a mismatched pet they don’t fully understand or whose specific needs they are not able to meet.

Remember, the spay/neuter process is a one-time cost that is minor when you look at all of the lifelong benefits for both you, your pets and the nation’s pet population problem.

— Dr. Tracy Acosta is a veterinarian at Biloxi (Miss.) Animal Hospital.